Cuba wishes to give its full support to the issue raised in the 32nd World Health Assembly on the Food Safety Programme which is taken up in paragraphs 8 and 9 of the document ALINORM 79/3.
In this respect the Cuban Delegation proposes that in accordance with the policy of reorientation of the work of the Commission and as concrete measures for the benefit of the developing countries, regional seminars be organized on food inspection and control and a sufficient number of fellowships be granted to technicians from the countries of these regions; the languages used in the seminars should be those most widely used in the specific regions.
These seminars should include both inspection and laboratory aspects. The costs of these fellowships should be paid by the World Health Organization through its regional bodies.
WHO should formulate pilot projects for physico-chemical and microbiological laboratories for preventive food control at the different levels with possibility of financing the necessary equipment
These two measures would prove to be of realassistance to the developing countries and would afford an effective basis for the execution of the WHO Food Safety Programme. Only thus it would be possible to control the use of chemical additives, pesticide residues and the microbiological contamination of food.
Cuba wishes to declare once again its criteria concerning the international maximum limits for pesticide residues and special reference is made to the statement in paragraph 1.68 of the document ALINORM 79/7 regarding the 35th Session of the FAO Programme Committee.
This paragraph maintains the same position as that held by Cuba regarding pesticide residues and the particular problems of tropical and subtropical countries.
Our country, in order to accept the maximum limits set forth in the recommended Codex standards, needs to make a thorough study of the situation in this respect, in the same way as other countries which are basically dependent on agriculture and its relationship to pest control problems.
This is indispensable before fixing levels for world tolerance of pesticide residues.
This study would be a very beneficial aid to the developing countries. A panel of experts would need to be set up for this purpose and Cuba would be prepared to provide this panel with all necessary assistance and cooperation.
